The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-04-28

4during, school hours ana IN tne
6cs of the teacher. We must con-
) preference for the latter plan. To
Low child to prepare his composition
1at home is to tempt him to the dangerous
and evil practice of plagiarism. Little
children are no more free from ambition
than grown-psopls, and should not be
led into the temptation to claim the
authorship of sentiments he can not
comprehend. We are glad to know that
Miss Newton requires her pupils to write
in her presence invariably.
During the past few years the methods
of Geographical Teaching have been
more thoroughly studied than ever be-
fore. Certain fundamental principles
az now universally accepted, among which.
is-frst; The mindFof the learner must
20 from the known to. the unknown,
from what car be seen with eyes to what
can only be sesn by the mind, by sue
csssive steps. These steps are arranged
in the order of dependence. For exam.
pie, the child can see the school-room.
Ha asAEs sssSissSisasas ss SsSiens
objects in it, their direction from each
other, and their distances apart. He
learns to draw o. diagram of the room,
accurately representing the places the
different objects occupy. His measuring
line becomes a scale, and thus the first
Important step in. geographical study is
taken. For, without an accurate con.
ception of what a scale means, it is not
possible to know what map represents.
Next he goes outside the school-room
and learns east, west, north, and south.
Then he draws 8 map of the school yard,
and learns 20 bound it by the familiar
objects to which it is joined. Then his
scale is enlarged; he measures a yard, a
rod. ..and learns what the distance of a
mile means.
--eFhe~ second fundamental principle is
tiatNhs mind Of the learner must be so
trained that it can conceive. accurately,
from maps and pictures, how 9 part OF
the aofi6apeks that it has never seen'
This secondstep requires the cultivation
of the imagination. Without such dis
cipline a map is AN unsuggestiye surface
of black lines and combinations Of colors.
To pupil who has not taken this second
step, a map suggests no more Of how the
surface of the earth looks than q chess
board. But, to one who has this geograph.
ical idea, map is filled with most in
tense interest.
These principles must of necessity un'
derlie the system upon which any GOOD
elementary geography is based. When
the pupil is old enough to study the
higher book, he should be expected to
have thoroughly mastered these funda-
mental ideas. E
The reason why Appletons' "Elemen.
tary Geography" is SO highly valued is
because it is based upon these sound and
acknowled' principles It-trsats the sub.
Jet dJGys9Nssly, makes knowledge Precede
ude61ition,si and presents facts in thei,
logical connections, taking gradual steps
from the known to the unknown Al
the very commencement we find lesson
on Directions then Distance and Meas
urement, a map of the school.room, the
use Of the scale, and map of the school
grounds. Next the child follows the
streets aud bheIoads in the vicinity, and
-laarns-to knoR by observation what q
hill is, plain, a valley, a stream, an
island, etc. Next he studies q larger
section Of eountry-as a portion Of the
town IN which he lives, or the country
Immediately surrounding him. The
various features of this district he lays
down on map, locating accnratelH Hsits
different roads, houses, hills, stre&ns,
and bridges. Then he is taughtsEhe
elementary facts concerning clissate,
vegetation, animal life, minerals, occupa.
tions Of men, government, religion, and
the conditions of society. In studying
these he goes from what he can sec to
I. what he can conceive of, and is able soon
to gain a clear conception of the earth as
a whole. He is much aided by the dis
tiuct maps; made accurate and unencum'
bered With many names, also by the in.